Frozen DM500s

A

AbuNakad

Member
My Satellite Setup
DM7000
DM500S
EL5 Linux
WinXP desktop
Vista Laptop
a bunch of other routers, WLANs.. etc
My Location
Oman
Guys, perhaps you can help..
My DM500S is totally frozen, I disconnect the power and reconnect, and I get a green light, but remains frozen, pressing the power button on the front panel is also un-responsive. the ethernet port is also not up, so I cannot ftp or telnet to the box.
Any suggestions??
thanks
 
AbuNakad said:
Guys, perhaps you can help..
My DM500S is totally frozen, I disconnect the power and reconnect, and I get a green light, but remains frozen, pressing the power button on the front panel is also un-responsive. the ethernet port is also not up, so I cannot ftp or telnet to the box.
Any suggestions??
thanks
Click to expand...

What is missing here is what did you do before the box got frozen.
Which image version does it have?
Have you tried to connect it to PC using a null modem cable and then check with the DreamUP utility (uncheck LAN) and see if there is any response?
If you get a connection this way, try to reflash with a stable image like Gemini 4.3.0 (beware of 4.3.1).
Don't forget to disconnect all cables before the flash (including the coax LNB)
 
Have you tired the power drain, lot of time it works, unplug all the cables, keep the standby button pressed for 10 seconds, release connect all cables and start the power, see if that works and post the results ...
 
Many thanks for all the people that responded.

- The image is Gemini 4.3.1
- The box is an original not a clone.
- and I tried the power drain approach and it did not work

I will try tonight the DreamUP using the serial port and advise.

Many thanks again for the suggestions.
 
AbuNakad said:
Many thanks for all the people that responded.

- The image is Gemini 4.3.1
- The box is an original not a clone.
- and I tried the power drain approach and it did not work

I will try tonight the DreamUP using the serial port and advise.

Many thanks again for the suggestions.
Click to expand...

I hope that you are right about it being an original. Many people thought they had an original until they flashed with gemini 4.3.1 and then had similar symptoms like what you have now.
Good Luck. :)
 
thanks guys,

it is indeed an original, it has the hologram, and the security sticker. besides it was working with the Gemini 4.3.1 for a few months before it froze.
anyways, based on the advice you guys gave me yesterday, i used DreamUP and flashed it with the original image, and i restored it. I just finished flashng it again with Maxvar 4.4 image. and so far so good.
would you guys advise to use another image?

many thanks again for all the help
 
Even if it has a hologram it could be still a clone the best way to check with out opening the box up, is by checking the mac address it should be the same one as on your box.A good safe image is the eagle
 
Your assumption of it being a "Real Dreambox", just because it displays a official hologram is flawed. "Clones" have the same security Hologram, as All the units were manufactured in the same factories in the P.R.C. The more logical thought is to look at the units "actual" Mac address, (and, not the one that appears on the outside of the box) If it start out with 00:12:25:xx:xx:xx, it's a clone, period. This mean very little, since there are other images that clones can run perfectly well on. It just means, that clones, should avoid Gemini's image products, like the plague.

I don't believe this is you problem, I think it more likely, give the age and usage, of the unit, that your looking at electrolytic capacitors, that have lost their ability to maintain proper charge (dried out caps). I would ask, if the Lan connection has been a little flaky prior to this latest development?
If you do wind up replacing Caps, pay close attention, not only to the value, but, the actual application type of device being replaced. You can juggle the voltage up a little, and it's a good idea to bump the temp range up as well, where you can. But, the device type is critical for continued proper operation.

Good luck
IM
 
since one week,my db 500 clone,bought on ebay,needs very long to start up,sometimes i must disconect the power 5 times,i see the gimini blue picture with the yellow logo,nothing hapens,maybe i must wait 2 minutes then image is here,sometimes nothing hapens and image freeze.any ideas?
what this could be,in the begining never had any problem always using same image gimini 4.2
 
@Turok
Actually that 2 minute startup, sounds pretty close to normal, for boot up time on a Dreambox. Dreambox is very different from most STB's, in that, it's a computer, doing satellite tasks.

If this is a new install, have you completed the rest of the initialization process , like setting the LAN address, Video standard, motor, or, switch setup, and, "loading a channel list"?
With No channel list installed, the unit will set on the boot screen with no where to go.
Just like any computer that has no instruction set to act on, sets at the C:/ prompt.

If it's an unit that's been in the field for some time. I'd suspect the electrolytic caps are losing their value and allowing noise to corrupt the MPU's signal paths. Simply BAD CAPS, over time they lose their ability to maintain proper charge. Todays consumer electronics is made with customer roll over in mind, not lasting a lifetime.

And, if this is a "Clone" unit, since you got it off eBay, that's a 99.997% probability.
I would strongly suggest you install some other image, Gemini is well known "Bricking" Clones.
It's designed to Corrupt the receivers boot loader, forcing the user to J-tag the unit, for recovery.
Check you MAC address, if it starts with 00:12:25:xx:xx:xx it's a clone, and Gemini will damage it.

IM
 
hello thanx,for your detailed aswer,yes it is not posible to use gimini 4.3,i use the old gimini 4.2
first the box boot very fast,now 3 month later very slow!
with a linux text editor,there is a patch avalible where you can change,the mac adress,into a range that the gimini 4.3 image wants!

strangly clones from china,runing gimini 4,3 without a problem,that means,not every clone is afected,by this mac adress verifying!
 
mhku said:
MAC checking is 4.3.1 onwards.
Click to expand...

I'll have to correct you on that, "MAC Checking" started, on Gemini V.4.30, with a "DOS" (Denial of Service) where "Blue Panel" access denial, was implemented, and, where MAC harvesting took place.
On Gemini v4.31 the "head.ko file was changed (with Dreambox's help), the result was corruption of the units "boot loader", commonly refereed to as "Bricking The Unit". Resulting in the user needing to reload the boot loader by use of a J-tag cable to recover.
Neither attack was pre-announced by Gemini, But, Gemini has now openly stated that their product "will only work on Real Dreambox units", This is the stance they've chosen, and so be it. There's plenty of other images available that clones may use safely.
The "MAC Address Swap" works, but, I believe it's only a "Dynamic change", and the address will likely revert back to the "original address", with the next image change over. So, take care.

IM
 
Hello all
I have the same situation where my DM 500S has completely frozen.
Was their a solution for this, or does the box have to go in the bin.
Many Thanks for your help in advance


AbuNakad said:
Many thanks for all the people that responded.

- The image is Gemini 4.3.1
- The box is an original not a clone.
- and I tried the power drain approach and it did not work

I will try tonight the DreamUP using the serial port and advise.

Many thanks again for the suggestions.
Click to expand...
 
Have you worked your way through the various bits of advice on this thread?

Unfortunately modern 500's are not known for their reliability - OEM 500's havent been made for years and the clones are cheaply (and often badly) built.
 
I had the same problem with BOTH the 500S i had. In the end i had to JTag them just to get them to respond to any connection etc.
They are doing the Frozen LED trick and will not respond to DreamUp with the Null modem etc.
Like you said, Cheap and not worth all the aggro.
My mates going to have a go with his comp as he has a RS232 conector and i had to use a USB- Serial Adaptor.
Ive now gone with a 800SE, Brilliant and so easy to flash etc!
 
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